Respawn Entertainment: Days of Glory

Chapter 946 The Bian Family Mother and Daughter
Old Yao wasn't the first to approach Rolling Stones LAB, but he was certainly the first to seriously discuss it. Crucially, with Zhuang Xian as guarantor, the terms and credibility were extremely high.

In the past, most of those who came to talk to me were like Lao Tan, with one foot in the industry and they opened bars based on their connections and passion. However, very few of them could achieve the same level of profitability as Lao Tan, Lao Meng (September), and Li Hao.

Many treat it as a base for their own people to play around with; as long as they can break even or even lose a little money, it's not a big deal—they treat it as a side business. Rolling Stone LAB certainly has expansion plans, but not out of sentimentality; it's about making real profits.

Furthermore, Bian Lang and Liang Kuan have both stated that LAB's future expansion will focus on first-tier cities. Second- and third-tier cities will not be considered...

At the time, Lao Meng saw that LAB's business and model were doing well, so he asked Bian Lang and Chen Shuting for advice. Chen Shuting's question stunned Lao Meng: "Rent in the ancient city, finding a 2000-square-meter space to make money from tourists, do you really understand this?"

So in the end, Lao Meng could only postpone, saying, "Indeed, tourists' needs and consumption habits are completely different things."

Bian Lang did come up with two ideas: a small house made of ice and a tavern called "Jump into the Sea." However, it seemed that Lao Meng couldn't pull off either of them, so Bian Lang didn't mention them.

Liang Kuan was aware of these things, so after Lao Yao explained his purpose, Liang Kuan didn't mince words: "Rolling Stone LAB is positioned in first-tier cities. I wonder what Mr. Yao's plans are?"

"Magic City!"

After saying this, Lao Yao sat down confidently.

Liang Kuan sat down as well, then took out his phone and said, "Shall I have the person in charge here come over and we can talk together?"

Actually, Lao Yao didn't care who he talked to; what he valued was the copyright resources of Rolling Stone behind Rolling Stone LAB, the ability to freely perform new Rolling Stone songs. But he was just someone who invested money but didn't manage anything, so when Liang Kuan suggested Lao Tan come over for a chat, he didn't object.

However, he continued, "To be honest, from a purely investor's perspective, the size of the Kunming market supporting such a music complex is no easy feat. So you've done an excellent job..."

I took a walk around the venue before coming in and found that the related businesses were operating quite well. If I were to replicate this model in Shanghai, how would I handle these businesses? Would I recruit them myself in Shanghai?

There's a lot more to it than meets the eye in these words. If someone else asked you this, you could just take it literally. But coming from an investor like Lao Yao, Liang Kuan had to think for a while before he could give you an answer.

After all, the businesses in Rolling Stone Lab now include Tony Yue Zaonuo, a long-time tenant of the building; Green Algae, a musician from Rolling Stone; and Bian Lan, the big sister, and so on...

If we're talking about replicating the past, only Bian Lan has the capability and the idea. Zhu Yan's record store has now been incorporated into the LAB system; it's just a matter of shareholding percentage.

"Of these current business segments, the music-related ones are all managed entirely by Rock Records. As for the other segments, the non-alcoholic beverages are handled by Sister Bian Lang..."

Upon hearing this, Old Yao's eyes lit up, and he immediately interrupted Liang Kuan, asking, "Is she Bian Lang's older sister?"

"Yes, Qilin Big Mouth Tea, Sister Lang Fried Chicken, and Sister Lang Tea Shop all belong to Bian Lang's older sister. You should know about the relationship between Xibiqi and Rolling Stone Craft Beer, right?"

Old Yao nodded and said, "I know about beer. In that case, Mr. Liang, could you please arrange a meeting with Mr. Bian for me tomorrow? By the way, does Bian Lang own a restaurant?"

Although the question was posed, the underlying message—targeting Bian Lang's company—was quite clear. It felt like they weren't just looking to invest in Rolling Stone Lab, but rather to forge a deeper connection with the Bian Lang brand.

As for this matter, Liang Kuan couldn't make the decision herself: "Then I'll arrange for President Bian and President Luo to meet at Nanfeiyan tomorrow."

Of course, she would definitely contact Bian Lang tonight to discuss this matter. She didn't know the specific situation on Nan Feiyan's side, but if Bian Lang hadn't offered advice, resources, and help, Bian Lan wouldn't have had such a smooth journey after completely abandoning Seven Cups of Snow and switching to the Sisters Who Make Waves series.

Although the expansion speed is average, the truly booming sales are something that competitors envy. In the past, Bian Lang always used other brand franchise stores as a benchmark, but now she herself has become the benchmark for others.

It would be inappropriate not to inform Bian Lang.

"That would be best... Well, let me give you a heads-up, Mr. Liang: this collaboration has nothing to do with my company, but please rest assured, all the funding and other details will be overseen by Lao Zhuang. I have high hopes for the Shanghai market. Once the Blueberry Music Festival achieves its expected results, the Rolling Stones LAB's launch in Shanghai will be much smoother."

I also hope that next year's Rolling Stones Music Festival will have one show in Shanghai. We Shanghai music fans have been waiting so long..."

After hearing this, Liang Kuan became even more certain of this person's intentions. This person had clearly planned out the entire path, not wanting to miss a single marketing opportunity. And, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this person would also be securing the Shanghai distribution rights for both Xibiqi and Rolling Stone Beer.

Given Zhuang Xuan's involvement, there shouldn't be any problems with this lawyer's abilities. Although he's not an IPO lawyer, those who hire him and become friends must have cases involving substantial sums.

Take Rolling Stone, for example. Don't be fooled by the small fry they seem to be messing with; the financial stakes behind the scenes are enormous.

At this point in the conversation, Liang Kuan also had a question: "President Yao, why is this collaboration done in a personal capacity, instead of through a company?"

Old Yao knew he couldn't avoid this question, so his answer was quite thorough: "I've looked into it from various sources. Rock Records has no plans to go public. Although they're not involved in the core music business, once they get involved and see a profit to be made, the company's elites won't care about gossip or losing face. I'm afraid that if things go wrong, a good thing could turn into an enemy."

Also, from my own perspective, I'm more optimistic about Rolling Stone than the company's analysts. As a rock fan, I'm willing to make some compromises that my colleagues at the company wouldn't understand, and in return, I want to get more in return.

Mr. Liang should know that our company has invested in many unicorns, and I believe Rolling Stone LAB is the most competitive unicorn in the entertainment industry for the future! Shanghai is just the beginning…”

If Lao Yao only talked about the company-level aspects, Liang Kuan would definitely think this guy was unreliable. If he had no ulterior motives, why would he send someone to take the risk?

Putting aside her biases towards Rolling Stone and Sidewalk, Liang Kuan herself couldn't say for sure about the expansion prospects of Rolling Stone LAB. After all, before she actually joined Rolling Stone, she felt that rock and independent music was a very niche market in China.

Even though Bian Lang has helped her rise to fame, she's still not exactly a household name in China. But after seeing Rolling Stone's music library, she realized that the distinction between niche and mainstream didn't matter anymore. With Bian Lang's vast collection of non-rock songs, it would be easy for any well-known singer in the Chinese music scene to owe him a favor.

Besides, Bian Lang is only in his early 30s. If he still has another 10 years of prime time, then his influence will be too exaggerated.

To use an analogy, how much influence do Jonathan Lee and Lo Ta-yu have in the industry? And Bian Lang's works include far more than just those two…

However, these things cannot be directly converted into market acceptance. Moreover, Rolling Stone LAB is still a niche group mainly focused on rock and independent music. Therefore, Liang Kuan really doesn't know if Rolling Stone LAB will still be in such a state after leaving Rolling Stone's headquarters.

But since they've shown such strong interest, she couldn't possibly hold them back: "It seems President Yao is already quite confident. The Rolling Stone Music Festival is mainly being handled by President Tan, but since we have a foundation of cooperation, if someone in Shanghai takes over, we'll definitely consider them first."

Old Yao also shared his opinion after hearing this: "To be honest, there's a type of person whose ruthlessness is beyond what we business people can comprehend. If they really slap someone in the face too hard, they're not shy about pulling the power switch."

If some kind of safety accident happens, this brand will be ruined..." Although this sounds a bit alarmist, upon closer examination, it is entirely possible.

The simplest point is that if the Rolling Stones Festival, a major event that drags on for extended periods, were to strictly adhere to the approved schedule, every single show would be shut down. They use this as a pretext to claim that the Rolling Stones are violating regulations, leaving them with no grounds for argument. In most cases, they simply pay a fine to settle the matter.

Of course, this is not unique to mainland China; it is the same in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas.

Milk Tea, A-mei, and Sodagreen are frequent visitors to the Taipei Arena who are fined; Fat Chan also received the highest fine ever at the Hung Hom Stadium; Jay Chou was also fined hundreds of thousands of dollars in Sydney, either for exceeding the performance time limit or for exceeding the volume limit.

Others couldn't back down from their predicament and had to be brought to an end by pulling the plug.

Don't think this kind of thing won't happen. A concert on a certain music variety show in China was shut down, and security personnel went on stage to clear the venue, even injuring Teacher Jin.

Everyone has different responsibilities, and no one should be blamed for that, but let's be a bit conspiratorial. What if this becomes a tool for some to trip up Rolling Stones?

If Lao Yao hadn't brought it up, let alone Liang Kuan, even Lao Tan wouldn't have paid much attention to it. But since an expert had pointed it out, Rolling Stone naturally had to be on guard...

Of course, the fact that someone like Lao Yao dared to say this also conveys one message: "Shanghai is fine!"

"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Yao. We hadn't really considered this much before..."

As they were chatting, Lao Tan came in. They were originally talking about business, but after Lao Tan, the old rocker, and Lao Yao, the old rock enthusiast, introduced themselves, the conversation completely veered off-topic.

The two, who seemed to have hit it off immediately, drank themselves into oblivion, completely forgetting about any serious business. However, while still somewhat relieved, Lao Yao immediately invited Lao Tan to Shanghai to help him choose a venue.

Bian Lang replied immediately upon receiving Liang Kuan's message: "LAB cooperation is negotiable, as for my sister and mother, they can make their own decisions."

Bian Lang was naturally thrilled that they could venture out together, flourish in Shanghai with Rolling Stone LAB, and gradually expand their influence to the surrounding areas and even the whole country. However, he wasn't Bian Lan or Luo Suping, and couldn't make decisions for them.

After all, if we had gone down that path, putting aside the risks, the workload would have been completely different.

Bian's mother isn't at the age where she should be making a lot of noise anymore, so as her son, he naturally wants his parents to have a more comfortable and peaceful old age. And then there's Luo Suping herself—does she really want to expand Nanfeiyan to a nationwide chain?

We're not short of money at home now...

As for Bian Lan, the reasons are similar, and of course, there is also the question of who will mentor Zhang Qin.

If they want to expand overseas, she, as the founder, will definitely have to go through the initial pioneering work. Moreover, the various unique aspects of the catering industry mean it's not necessarily simpler than Rolling Stone Labs.

Therefore, Bian Lang didn't want to interfere with their thoughts. He didn't even consult his older sister and mother, letting them contact each other themselves. Bian Lang felt that if he mentioned it, his family might misunderstand something.

This ultimately leads to compromises and other issues arising from one's own perspective when making decisions...

In reality, even though Bian Lang was already very careful, how could his mother and sister not side with him?
That evening, after Zhang Fan returned home, he told Bian Lan everything. Then Bian Lan began to weigh the pros and cons...

Back when she first started Seven Cups of Snow, her biggest ambition was to make Spring City her own little corner of the world, not even daring to dream of conquering other prefectures. But now, with Bian Lang's help, she's become a benchmark in the eyes of others, and she does consider expanding to the entire province and even the whole country, only the timing and pace of her plans aren't right now.

Having grown accustomed to the bloodline that suppressed her younger brother, she felt extremely uncomfortable with the current situation where she was basically unable to help Bian Lang when he got into trouble.

Therefore, she also hopes that she can grow along with Bian Lang, so that one day when Bian Lang encounters any difficulties, she, as his older sister, can wave her hand and say, "It's okay, your older sister is here to help you!"

As for Luo Suping, she saw the message Bian Lan sent her early the next morning, and then the mother and daughter held a family meeting early in the morning at the snack street shop in Nanfeiyan.

"Xiao Lan, what are you thinking?" Luo Suping asked seriously, but the bowl of pounded chicken rice noodles that she usually loved to eat on the table didn't taste very good today.

Bian Lan absentmindedly stirred the rice flour mixture, then replied, "I definitely want to go out. I didn't dare to think about it before because I didn't have the foundation, but now that I do, I naturally want to give it a shot. It's just that the timing..."

"Yes, this timing is a bit rushed for you. I've already thought it through. If the other party's conditions are right, I'm willing to take another chance and pave the way for you and the second son..."

(End of this chapter)